Friday, June 12, 2009

*ETA: Time's Up! All blog Hop links have been broken. However, if you go to the forums at Stampin' Addicts Bon Voyage Blog Hop, you can find the list of all the blogs.*

Welcome to Port of Call #32 on the Stampin' Addicts 2009 Bon Voyage Blog Hop featuring Stampin' Up! Retiring Stamps Sets! You may have arrived here via Port of Sarah's Ink Spot. One announcement before disembarking: the Blog Hop links are only active through 11:59 pm Tuesday June 16; after that, many hostesses will post more details on projects you see today. Bookmark your favorite stops now--on return visits, you'll bypass customs & immigration and go straight to the fun!

My projects feature the fun and a little bit funky Big Deal Alphabet. I am so sad to see this alphabet set retire - I just love its round letters with some over-sized ones and some just a little smaller. It makes for fun titles for happy themed scrapbook pages and works great for card fronts as well. You can stamp it out straight and perfect with your Stamp A Ma Jig, or stamp them tight and loopy or even stamp them with overlapping letters; this alphabet is so accommodating to all kinds of titles and greetings.

This card is a great example of how versatile the Big Deal Alphabet is for helping you to create just the right focal point sentiment. I stamped the letters in Pacific Point ink onto the Bashful Blue card front and then gave them highlights them with the Signo White Gel Pen. I think the touch of white gives the letters a lot of dimension. Don't forget that the 2008-2009 In Colors, including this Pacific Point, are retiring as well at the end of this month.

TIP: To get the word centered on your card front, first stamp it onto Grid Paper. Then place the card front just above your stamped letters and center it. Finally, stamp the word onto your card front, using the Grid Paper sample as your guide.

Here is a more traditional sample of a scrapbook page using the Big Deal Alphabet set. I chose a background page of Chocolate Chip card stock and then stamped my title word in Whisper White Craft Ink. I used the Signo White Gel Pen to add a lot of texture to the letters by doodling down each letter and smearing the gel pen with my finger before it dried. Then I dotted the I's in the title with a half back pearl from the Pretties Kit secured with a Mini Glue Dot. A tiny bit of journaling below the photo and a few flowers from the Pretties Kit finish off this page.

My final project is also a scrap booking one, but a mini album this time. I saw an 'Up Fold' album like this and had to give it a try. I just love the fun way it opens on the left side, but it also opens UP on the right side. I used the chipboard backing from a package of Designer Series Paper to help me with this. I had a lot of fun with this mini album and it came together so quickly and easily! The Big Deal Alphabet helped me create just the right title for the cover. This time I stamped the letters in Real Red Craft Ink and then embossed them with my Heat Gun and some Clear Embossing Powder.

If you'd like to see how I put this Up FoldAlbum together and take a peek at some of the inside pages, be sure to bookmark my blog and come back next week.

Well, thanks for stopping at my blog on this Stampin' Addicts 2009 Bon Voyage Blog Hop! Now it's time to continue on to your next stop A Touch From the Heart.

If you would like to see more Stampin' Up! inspiration, be sure to visit the Stampin' Addicts website at stampinaddicts.com. Take a look in the gallery at Stampin' Addicts where I've uploaded several more scrap book pages featuring the Big Deal Alphabet Set.

Mary-these ROCK!! Figures, Big Deal never really caught my eye, but I LOVE the way it looks when you highlight it with the gel pen - gorgeous card!! I really like uncluttered scrapbook pages and yours is simply elegant, very lovely. Super cool scrap/flip/thingy, too-I'll definately stop back and check out the deets. TFS!!

Stampin' & Scrappin' in Colorado

I love to scrap book and stamp - it's my late night addiction! And the best hobby that my friends Johnlyn and Lisa introduced me to years ago.
I am an Independent Demonstrator for Stampin' Up! I've found that I really like Stampin' Up! products - cardstock especially, but also their rubber stamps - the wonderful quality and beautiful design - and of course, all the coordinating inks and accessories.